


Illegible Connection

by Krysalis



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Awkward Kageyama Tobio, Don't Like Don't Read, Dysfunctional Family, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Eventual Romance, Falling In Love, Family Feels, Family Issues, Feels, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, How Do I Tag, Hurt/Comfort, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, Idiots in Love, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Implied/Referenced Cheating, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Kageyama Tobio is Bad at Feelings, Kageyama Tobio-centric, Light Angst, M/M, Not Beta Read, OT3, Other, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Polyamory, Pre-OT3, Romance, Soulmates, Teen Romance, Writing on Skin, read the tags
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-31
Updated: 2021-01-31
Packaged: 2021-03-17 15:14:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,858
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29102352
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Krysalis/pseuds/Krysalis
Summary: Turning sixteen was practically everyone’s dream, it meant you could finally communicate with your soulmate (assuming they were also already sixteen) via writing on your body.However, Kageyama despised the idea of having a soulmate, as far as he was concerned they’d just get in the way of what actually mattered in life and didn’t see much in a forced connection with a stranger. If he was lucky, his soulmate would be just as against speaking as he was, he wouldn’t have to cover up any marks from his soulmate for one. However, when he sees not one, but two sets of all-too-familiar handwriting on his arms, he knows he’s royally screwed
Relationships: Hinata Shouyou/Kozume Kenma, Iwaizumi Hajime/Kageyama Tobio, Iwaizumi Hajime/Kageyama Tobio/Oikawa Tooru, Iwaizumi Hajime/Oikawa Tooru, Kageyama Tobio/Oikawa Tooru, Minor or Background Relationship(s), Sawamura Daichi/Sugawara Koushi
Comments: 20
Kudos: 191





	Illegible Connection

**Author's Note:**

> Okay first proper fic here we go, any and all feedback I'd love. This first chapter is basically just Kageyama but I promise in later chapters we'll get the main trio all together! I hope you like it! Also this chapter is on the shorter side, but the others I want to bump up.
> 
> Also also, I wrote this really late at night so I’m probably going to edit it in the morning, so if you come back to a completely different fic after reading I apologise-
> 
> EDIT (31/1/21) - Added a bit extra and tried to polish up the writing.

Kageyama didn’t know if he was ignorant or just plain stupid, but if he expected his older sister to not make a big deal out of his sixteenth birthday he was _sorely_ mistaken. From what it sounded like, she had been preparing for _weeks_.

Not just because he was turning sixteen, but because a sixteenth birthday was life-changing these days.

The day you could finally start communicating with your soulmate.

Well, technically it was the day that marks that appeared on your body also appeared on your soulmate, but writing to your soulmate had become so glamorised it was all your sixteenth birthday was known for. Trading names, addresses, interests, anything and everything.

According to those who research into soulmates, the system was in place to tell your soulmate if you were injured, and for the most part, it did seem to help avoid potentially life-threatening situations.

Kageyama didn’t exactly see it as a gift though, more like a concrete shackle that he’d never be able to shake off. He very openly lamented against soulmates, especially in front of his teammates who were in fact in relationships with their soulmates. His only hope was his soulmate had a similar opinion to himself and had zero intentions of making contact. 

...Maybe that was a little extreme.

The plan was simple, just write to his soulmate explaining why he wasn’t going to be writing and to not bother attempting to communicate. Like he said, simple. 

However, there was every chance his soulmate was younger than him, in which case he was going to have to adjust his master plan. 

The problem with your soulmate being younger than you was you both had to be over the age of sixteen for the marks to appear on one another. If Kageyama was to write on his arm and his soulmate was not yet sixteen, it would only be visible to himself. In which case he’d have to wait however long it took to explain why he wouldn’t ever be communicating with his soulmate. He’d known this happen to a few of his teammates, for example, he knew that that Ennoshita had yet to see any marks from his soulmate (something which Kageyama _definitely_ didn’t envy him for). 

Kageyama didn’t want to consider the worst-case scenarios when it came to his soulmate. There were always very disturbing stories on the television about soulmates with such _vast_ age gaps that people were sometimes waiting decades for their soulmates’ marks to appear. Kageyama could only pray the universe didn’t think his soulmate was someone who wasn’t even born yet. However, there were also more tragic stories about people in their eighties and nineties who hadn’t ever had a mark from their soulmate appear on their body, which could only mean they died young. Waiting around for something that wasn’t going to happen. Sadder yet, soulmates who found more _unsettling_ marks on their body like serious bruises or cuts.

Was it selfish to not want a soulmate? Did it make him an awful person to think about these stories of people desperate to reach out to their soulmates when he didn’t even want to spare it a second thought?

“Earth to Kageyama? You’ve been spacing out all day, are you okay?”

Kageyama snapped out of his inner dialogue, looking around the now almost empty club room and looked towards Sugawara who looked like he’d been trying to get his attention for a while. As much as Kageyama respected Sugawara, this was the last person he needed to see in the middle of his inner soulmate tirade. Sugawara and Daichi were so closely intertwined it was scary, Kageyama swore they didn’t even have to use the mark communication system to communicate with one another, it seemed as if they could read each other's mind.

“Oh, uh, sorry. What’s up?” Kageyama asked as he shoved his volleyball trainers into his bag.

Sugawara eyed him up for a moment before chuckling lightly to himself, brushing off Kageyama's daydreaming as tiredness.

“I was wondering if you wanted to come into school tomorrow for some extra training, I know it’s a little last minute, as well as the fact it’s a weekend. But if you’re free it’d be really nice to get in one last session of training before we take our week off for Christmas.” 

Kageyama paused in his tracts, his birthday was tomorrow. Not that it mattered that it was a ‘special day’, more so he was suspicious his team was trying to plan some kind of surprise for his birthday. He was quick to voice his concern. 

“This isn't some kind of surprise thing is it?” Kageyama asked with suspicion etched onto his face.

“Sorry?” Sugawara blurted out as his eyebrows furrowed with visible confusion “It’s not a secret training session if that’s what you mean, although there probably won’t be as many people as usual.”

Kageyama had never felt like such an idiot, his cheeks flushed with redness as he gnawed at his lip, _why did I even assume he did? Play it off, play it off-_

“Oh, uh, yeah that’s what I meant.” 

It was times like this he felt like receiving a spike from Hinata to the back of the head, why was he making such a fool of himself.

“Sorry, I’m just tired. I can go.” Kageyama was desperately trying to save himself at this point, it was much better than his first attempt at least.

He could feel Sugawara’s silver eyes burning into his skin as he stared at him curiously. After a moment of consideration, and much to Kageyama’s relief, he stopped staring and chuckled once more.

“You _really_ must be tired, Kageyama. You should head home, I’m glad you’ll be joining us tomorrow though! Make sure you get plenty of rest.” Sugawara chided as Kageyama nodded respectively at Sugawara’s request.

That conversation took place at 6 PM.

“...Shit.”

It was now 11:50 PM, and Kageyama absolutely could **not** sleep.

Ten minutes, ten measly minutes and he’d possibly be able to communicate with his soulmate. It was genuinely terrifying, maybe he’d gotten all worked up over nothing and he wouldn’t even have to worry about his soulmate just yet. But the anxiety building up in his mind was unbearable.

Kageyama probably would’ve slammed his face into his pillow for the thousandth time that evening if it wasn’t for a notification on his phone.

* * *

**dumbass (11:50 PM)**

_KAGEYAMA ! ! !_

**dumbass (11:50 PM)**

_ANSWER ME_ ˋ皿ˊ 

**You (11:50 PM)**

_tf do you want so badly dumbass its late_

**dumbass (11:50 PM)**

_MY SOULMATE GOT ANOTHER BRUISE ON HIS ARM WHAT DO I DO????? (=_=)_

* * *

If there was one thing Kageyama was sick of lately, it was playing counsellor for Hinata and his unnamed soulmate. He must’ve had every last detail of the whole affair. Hinata’s soulmate was there when Hinata turned sixteen, only he didn’t want to reveal his identity. The only information Hinata had (or what Kageyama assumed he had anyway) was that his soulmate was a male as well as the year above them. Despite this, Hinata undoubtedly gave his soulmate every last detail from his name, to his favourite colour, to his love of volleyball, and even to his favourite brand of soda. Kageyama could only pray his soulmate wasn’t as _chatty_ as Hinata.

* * *

**You (11:52 PM)**

_what tf do you im going to be able to do about it??_

_ask him if hes okay or smthing_

_and stop sending emoticons dolt_

**dumbass (11:53 PM)**

_BAKAGEYAMA EMOTICONS ARE COOL ! ! ! (_ ￣ _Д_ ￣ 

AND _WHAT IF ITS SOMETHING PERSONAL, I DONT WANNA SCARE HIM_

**You (11:54 PM)**

_ur such an idiot, how are u going to know if u dont ask, also turn ur caps off ffs_

**dumbass (11:55 PM)**

_Sorry mr “i only type in lower case”_ 눈 ___ 눈 

_And you suck at giving advice you know ! ! !_

_Ill try though, but if it goes wrong its your fault ! ! ! I dont care if its your birthday tomorrow or not i wont speak to you ! ! !_

* * *

Under normal circumstances, Kageyama would’ve made some snide joke about not wanting to speak to Hinata anyway, but _birthday_? He knew? He intentionally went out of his way to not tell anyone, when birthdays came up he was always elusive and just said “Winter.” and there was no way Hinata was smart enough to figure it out on his own.

* * *

**You (11:56 PM)**

_how tf do u know when my birthday is??_

**dumbass (11:56 PM)**

_Stupid Kageyama, I asked Takeda-Sensei to find out so I could get you a present obviously_ ˋ _3_ ˊ 

**You (11:56 PM)**

_does anyone else know?_

**dumbass (11:57 PM)**

 _Ehh? Im not psychic bakageyama_ ఠ _͟_ ಠ 

**You (11:57 PM)**

_I mean have you told anyone else idiot_

**dumbass (11:57 PM)**

 _Nope, why????????????????????_ ↂ ___ ↂ 

**You (11:58PM)**

_nvm_

* * *

Hinata’s conversation with Kageyama had completely blindsided him, he hadn’t even registered the time. “Oh fuck.” He said aloud realising he only had two minutes to go. 

It was a stupid assumption to make that his soulmate would even be awake, or even _there_. But Kageyama had been keyed up about this for weeks, and he sure as hell wasn’t going to be able to sleep until his phone read 12:00 AM.

Putting his phone in his hoodie pocket, Kageyama decided he needed something to help destress. 

_Milk._

Trying not to wake up his older sister, Kageyama walked down the stairs and crept into the kitchen, the soft glow of the fridge illuminating the kitchen as he grabbed the bottle off the _good shit_ as he would say.

Pouring himself a glass as he felt his heart thump in his chest, he took a few sips of the cool liquid. It felt like someone was setting rockets off in his head, he hadn’t had a headache like this in a very long time. Kageyama was self-aware enough to realise he was probably overthinking the soulmate situation and his only hope was just facing the situation head-on. But that very simple way of resolving the thoughts swirling around in his head just didn’t seem possible.

Taking a deep breath through his nose, Kageyama moved from the kitchen to the downstairs hallway and knew he wasn’t going to be able to get himself together if he carried on like this. In times of great anxiety or worry, both Tobio and Miwas’ favourite room to sit in was his grandfathers’ bedroom.

It was the one area of the house that no matter what had happened that day could lift your spirits. Whether it was laughing at some of the ridiculous photos he had upon the walls, or listening to his old vinyl cd’s, or even just laying on his old bed and staring off into the space. 

It just had such a comforting aura, and that was really what Kageyama needed right now. 

When he did however realise he had been moving, it was only because he had stopped, stood outside a door he didn’t particularly enjoy walking through. His grandfather’s. It was almost scary how often this room attracted him during times of stress.

Gently pushing the door open, and closing it with just as little strength, he grabbed a lighter from the nightstand and lit the candles on his shrine, kneeling before it as he paid his respects. The room had not been touched, except for the addition of the shrine of course. The old grandfather clock in the corner, the fresh linen of the bed, the pictures up on the wall of all he had known in life. And the crown jewel of the room, a very old, used volleyball that sat on top of a chest of drawers. The very same volleyball he had taught not just Kageyama to play with, but his sister, his mother, and probably countless others during his time as a coach. 

* * *

_“Tobio? You’re looking particularly frowny today huh.” His grandfather had said, offering Kageyama a warm but reassuring smile as he patted “Come on, take a seat.”_

_A barely twelve-year-old Kageyama did as his elder asked, not bothering to hide his clearly saddened expression as he took a seat at the edge of the bed, picking at his sleeves._

_“Well? What’s got you all worked up. Rough day at school?” Kageyama heard, briskly followed by a series of coughs, his sister was right he really wasn’t well._

_“No…” Kageyama trailed off, not keen on telling his grandfather what had happened in the gym only hours prior._

_He heard a chesty chuckle from where his grandfather was laying as he shook his head in Kageyama’s direction._

_“Tobes, I’m a man of many talents but mind-reading isn’t one of them. I’m not going to kick up a fuss if that’s what has you all keyed up.”_

_“It was practice.” Kageyama sighed as he folded his arms, bringing his left leg up onto the bed. “Oikawa tried to hit me in practice and it…” He trailed off again, feeling his grandfather’s keen eyes on the back of his head._

_“Reminded you of him?” His grandfather filled in._

_A short nod and ocean-blue eyes filling up with tears was enough to reaffirm his grandfather’s observation, a soft sigh could be heard from his grandfather’s wheezy chest as he motioned for Kageyama to come towards him. Wrapping his good arm around his grandson’s back as the other rested limply at his side. A series of soft sniffles filling the room._

_“I-I know he didn’t mean to, and it’s stupid, but-“ Kageyama hiccuped as he felt a gentle hand rest on his back._

_“I don’t want to hear it Tobes, you’re a smart kid, don’t call your feelings stupid.”_

_There was a moment of silence as Kageyama tried to put himself back together, weakly wiping at his eyes._

_“You said ‘tried to’, why didn’t he?”_

_“Iwaizumi stopped him, I think that Oikawa is mad at me but I don’t know what I did.” Kageyama lamented with a frown “Why?”_

_“No matter, come on, why don’t we bring Miwa in here hm? We can listen to some of my old vinyls, you’ll love the new one I got sent in the post. It’s all the way from-“_

* * *

Kageyama snapped back to it, shaking off the heavy feeling in his chest as he tried to push away anymore invading memories, what a weird memory to look back on. 

His grandfather was probably the one good role model Kageyama had in his life, he was simply amazing. He was stern when he needed to be, but also managed to act as Kageyama’s hero. Even during his final moments where he looked his worst, he always kept a smile on not only his face but those around him as well. There wasn’t a single moment from Kageyama’s childhood he couldn’t remember him being there for. During Kageyama’s birth, he was there. When Kageyama took his first steps, he was there. When Kageyama was first learning how to play volleyball, he was there. When his rotten excuse for a father finally left home, he was there. When his mother drove herself inconsolable and left Kageyama with his sister, he was there. He was always _there_.

Kageyama tried to not let tears gather in his eyes as he dropped his hands from the praying position they had found themselves in, but the sadness that washed over him, even now almost two years after what had happened.

“Where are you…” Kageyama muttered weakly, knowing he wouldn’t receive any such reply “I need to see you, so badly…you’d have all the right things to say.”

A silence fell over the lonely room as much more thicker tears clouded Kageyama’s gaze “I’m so scared, I don’t want a soulmate! B-because - because just look at what happened to m-”

_Dong, dong, dong._

Came the soft chimes from the grandfather clock, Kageyama’s head swivelled towards the old clock, there was no mistaking. Both hands pointing straight up.

Taking a deep breath, Kageyama went to sit on his grandfather’s bed, pushing back thoughts of late nights he had spent here with him, listening to his silly stories and his hilarious anecdotes.

Kageyama removed his phone from his hoodie pocket as he took a few more breaths, _well, I guess there’s no point putting it off-_

With as much courage as Kageyama could muster, he rolled up his sleeve, and to his horror, there was indeed writing. At almost the same time he saw the loopy writing on his arm accompanied by some much thicker writing, his phone glowed.

* * *

_Iwa-Channnnnnn come over its soo cold tonight <3 _

**Shittykawa can you not tell the time**

_Iwa-Channnnnnnnn, im gonna cry_

**Lol is that supposed to change my mind??**

_:( crying rn, big meanie_

**Moron, you’re so lucky that your mother is the nicest person ever, spoiled brat**

_Awwwww ly2 iwa-chan~ <3 _

* * *

**dumbass (12:00 AM)**

_HAPPY BIRTHDAY KAGEYAMA ! ! !_ ୧☉ _□_ ☉୨ _I HOPE YOU GET EVERYTHING YOU WANTED AND A SOULMATE WHO CAN PUT UP WITH YOUR SUCKY ATTITUDE :DDDD_

.

.

.

“What the fuck-”

**Author's Note:**

> Any feedback is appreciated, this was a rush effort at 6AM so if you notice any errors I'd really appreciate you pointing them out. Any bookmarks, kudos or comments don't go unnoticed and I genuinely appreciate every single one.
> 
> Thank you!!
> 
> and in short blame Hinata for who his soulmates are


End file.
